Parton who married Thomas in May 1966, when she was 20 and he was 23, calls her husband a "good man."

"He's a deep person, but he has a great and warped sense of humor. He makes me laugh and entertains me. He's very secure within himself," she said.

While the country superstar is at ease in the spotlight and on the road, her husband is more comfortable at home.

"He loves to go on vacation or on little trips, but he doesn't want to be gone a long time. He wants to be mostly around the house," she said. "He knows I'm just the opposite. I can't go enough places. I can't do enough things. He loves that. He's independent. He doesn't need me in his face, and it's the same with me."

But, she added, "When we're together, we have enough things in common that it works. We love the simple life. We can be calm and just have a good time."

So what do they like to do together?

"We like to get out in our little RV and just be simple," Parton told People. "I love to read, I love to cook, I love to be with my husband. I put on my little comfy clothes –- I call them my baby clothes –- and we just relax."